Echo and Narcissus
by Enna Rose
Summary: Told by Echo and Ariadne, both of whom had their hearts broken by Narcissus, and Artemis, who watched it all - Rewrite
1. A Prolix Nymph and a Perfect Man

_A/N: My work on _The Stag _lately has left me with the desire to rewrite this._ _There are no plot changes, yet I feel like the character development has much improved. There were also a few typos and things that didn't get fixed during the edit that have now been fixed. And since chapter eight was pronounced to be lacking "oomph," it has received the most changes. I hope it doesn't disappoint anyone who has already read it and that those of you who read _The Stag _but not this one will enjoy further insight into Ariadne and Artemis' characters. _

Artemis

She is close. I can't see her yet, but I know she's there. A faint wind picks up and it brings the scent of her towards me. I take advantage of the branches rustling in the wind to cover another step forward. I can catch a hint of her brown coat now, just between the trees. I reach for my bow.

Suddenly there is a voice from my left. "Oh, look! She's so beautiful."

The deer bolts immediately. I don't even bother giving chase. The forest is too dense here; the deer is already gone. I am beginning to remember why I never take Echo on the hunt.

I take a deep, calming breath and look at the nymph. She can tell from my look that I am growing extremely frustrated. She stares at the ground, silent, but her mouth still opens and closes slightly, as if even in silence her lips can't stop moving. Her fingers of her right hand toy nervously with the dagger at her waist. She knows she is in disgrace, so I say nothing.

I look to Britomartis, the other of my dreiads that I have brought on this hunt. She nods silently, signaling that she is ready to move on. She slides back into the trees, almost invisible, to wait for my order.

The wind is coming straight from the east, so I head in that direction. If Echo can't stay quiet at we might as well use the wind to our advantage. I can't even remember the last time I went on a hunt that was so entirely unsuccessful. I hope that the embarrassed look that she has just given me means that she will be able to keep her mouth shut at least long enough for us to catch something.

I take about four steps before she ruins my hope. "Do you usually go this long without catching anything? You must be very patient. I could never do this so often. Watch animals run away. Although, usually you can't even see them; just hear them. It might be more interesting if you could see them more often. I do like animals, don't-"

"Echo," My tone is enough to cut her off. "You are dismissed."

"Yes, Artemis." The young nymph bows her head, spilling beautiful blond curls over her shoulders, and walks away. Even in her disgrace she cannot help doing small dances and humming to herself as she heads back to join her sisters. She pauses to chat with a small bird, which hops away with her. Echo's voice and the bird's twittering slowly fade away.

I somehow cannot be angry at her as I watch her leave, but a strange sense of foreboding fills me. It is mild, so I attempt to brush it away with no more than a slight mental note to keep an eye on her. But it won't go away. I recognize it, even though I don't want to. Echo's future is shadowed in a way that almost scares me. My dreiads are my responsibility, and I take it very seriously.

"Artemis?" Britomartis' voice is soft, but brings me back from my concerned thoughts.

"Watch out for Echo. I am worried about her," I say.

"Is everything all right?"

I am not sure how to answer that question, so I just nod. "I'm going to Olympus."

"We haven't caught anything. Surely…" She frowns in concern. It is extremely unusual for me to give up a hunt like this. But that feeling won't stop nagging at me.

"Next week."

She nods, her face carefully blank. I know she is curious, but too respectful to say anything. She pauses another second, knowing that she has been dismissed, but waiting to see if I will say anything else, before she turns around and walks in the same direction Echo took moments before.

I, on the other hand, turn in the opposite direction, and head towards Olympus.

I find Apollo lounging on the steps of the Great Temple. It is a common spot to find him. The view is beautiful when the clouds aren't too thick. You can see the entire world. And nearly everyone walks by here at some point in the day. The gods that he likes will sit with him and chat for a bit while those whom he does not are subject to his ridiculous jokes.

He smiles broadly at me as I walk up the steps to sit beside him. "You look preoccupied, sister," he says, without even greeting me. We've never bothered with such things.

"I need to know what you see."

He chuckles slightly. "You'll have to ask the oracle at Delphi. You'll have to sacrifice a few dozen sheep first, though. That includes the family discount."

"So your priests can eat them and tell me a worthless riddle? I think not."

"It is so amusing, though, don't you think?"

I press my lips together. "I suppose you could call it that." I don't say what I'm actually thinking. It will raise an old argument that I am not quite in the mood for having. I hate the way his priests treat the young girls they use as oracles. He always shrugs, saying that men will be men and that the girls live much better than the average Grecian woman. I often wish I could do something about it, but there are rules. Strict ones. Divine wars have been fought over mortals. I haven't come here to argue, anyway. I need his help.

"My dreiad, Echo. I have a bad feeling about her."

He closes his eyes and his head leans slightly to one side.

"Do you see anything?" I ask.

He is silent for a while, ignoring my question. When he finally opens his eyes, he looks a little surprised. "Not much. It's rather hazy, but Father is involved somehow. She looks like his type. You know how he likes the innocent blondes."

I frown. The fact that it's hazy is good; it means that it is neither imminent nor final. But the fact that Father is involved is not quite as comforting. "I suppose I should go talk to Father, then."

"I'm not sure if that's such a good idea." He turns his head towards the east, where storm clouds are rolling in. "Hera just went in to see him a few minutes before you got here. It looks like it's not going well."

I smile mischievously at him. "Let's find out, shall we?" His smile matches my own, and I am filled with the delightful feeling of being young again. A fight between Father and Hera could be excellent entertainment provided you didn't get caught in the middle of it. We both jump up and run the last few steps of the temple and past the tall, white columns. We slow once we reach the entrance and start moving silently as possible. Already I can hear Hera speaking in a quiet, almost hiss-like tone. The way she always sounds when trying to stay calm through anger. This should be good.

"…Hermes that she saw you with _two_ naiads." We are finally close enough that I can understand her. I look back at Apollo and have to stifle the urge to laugh.

"Wife, I told you, I was seeing to business." Father's voice sounds exasperated. I don't know why he bothers denying it. His affairs are more infamous than Hera's rage over them. He never seemed to learn the delicacy and tact required to keep such things quiet.

"Business? What could that possible mean, business?" she demands.

"Must I inform my wife of every little thing that I do?"

There is a prolonged moment of silence. I can picture the rage building on her face; she is probably positively purple by now. How I wish I could see it.

Much to my surprise, the explosion never comes. There is the sound of quick footsteps across the long, marble hall. I grab Apollo's arm and shove him towards the door, back outside. We drop back down on the steps, exactly as we had been before entering the temple. And not a moment too soon. As soon as we are situated Hera leaves the temple, looking delightfully purple, as I had expected.

I smile brilliantly at her while she glares at us as if it was somehow our fault. We manage to hold it together until she's gone before we finally dissolve into laughter.

"Oh," I finally say with a slight sigh, "That was horrible."

"They're both insane."

"They truly are."

We sit in companionable silence for a while and I occasionally glance back at the storm clouds, hoping they'll dissipate, signifying that Father has finally calmed. "I don't think those clouds are leaving any time soon," I say.

His eyes follow my gaze. "Probably not."

"Maybe I should just go see him anyway."

He looks skeptical, but just shrugs. "If you think it's for the best."

"I'd like to get it taken care of. I'm hoping that I'll be able to stop worrying about Echo once I've spoken with Father." I stand up slowly, not really wanting to do this, but knowing I need to.

"Maybe he'll be glad to see you."

"I hope so." I walk back into the temple and towards the main hall.

Father sits in his throne at the far end of the room, still looking angry. His hands are clenched at the end of his arm rests and an occasional spark of electricity jumps between his fingertips. He sits up unusually straight in the seat, his head bent as if he were glaring at the floor. I'm having second thoughts.

I carefully begin walking backwards towards to leave, but not soon enough. He looks up before I can get anywhere.

"Come, my child. What can I do for you?" His voice is short, but the way that he addressed me, _Child,_ is a good sign. Maybe this will go well after all.

I smile and go to his side. "Father, I have a request for you."

"Oh, that's what everyone wants from me these days." He sighs heavily. It makes me regret having started out that way. Too late now, though.

"It's about one of my dreiads, Echo. I am concerned for her."

"Is something wrong with her?"

"Not exactly, but I have a bad feeling about her. She's a sweet thing, naïve as they come, and beautiful. And while she is a terrible huntress I am sworn to protect her, like all of my dreiads." Father looks at me thoughtfully. He has always trusted my intuition, which has proven itself reliable in the past. Much more reliable than Apollo's sketchy visions into the future, I think rather belatedly. I hope I don't end up offending Father based on something that Apollo might be wrong about.

"So what exactly is it that you want from me?"

I must choose my words delicately. This could get ugly if he takes it the wrong way. "I was hoping you would, perhaps, stay away from her."

His expression is impossible to read. Confusion? Anger? I can't tell. "You think that I would bring harm to one of your dreiads?"

"No, of course, not. Well, not directly. I was thinking more of you being a little… friendly to her." He still looks confused. "And someone _else _hurting her." Still no comprehension. "Hera." I say finally.

He sits back in his throne, understanding now. I hold my breath, hoping he won't be angry. He couldn't really blame me for such a thing, could he? How many women and nymphs has Hera harmed out of her jealous rages? The stories are endless. All of a sudden he starts laughing. A deep, loud laugh of true amusement. I sigh in relief.

"Yes, my dear, I will avoid drawing Hera's anger on your dear Echo."

"Thank you, Father. I am so glad you understand."

"Provided, of course, that you keep me company for a while."

I can handle that to be assured of Echo's safety. But as I sit on the dais beside Father's throne, listening to him talk, I still can't shake that feeling that something is not right.

Ariadne

"They say there is a man in Thebes so handsome, so perfect, that he breaks the heart of every woman who sees him. Even some men. But his heart is so cold he cannot love. Narcissus, they call him."

"Really?" I try to turn my head to look at my maid, Isa, but she forces my head straight and continues brushing my long, stick-straight, brown hair. I wasn't blessed with brilliant blonde hair like my sister. Or black, like my sister-in-law. It's not even a vibrant brown; just the boring, dull, color of rat fur. My mother has told me for as long as I can remember that I should pray for beautiful hair because men find it very important. All my praying has come to nothing, though. The hair that Isa now brushes is the same awful brown color that I remember having ten years ago, when I was seven.

"That's what the stories say, my lady. But I suppose you'll find out soon enough, since you'll be going there," she continues, "And if he does exist, you might even get to see him."

Just then, Mother walks through the room with an irritated _tsk_. "With what sort of nonsense are you filling the girl's head, woman?" she asks Isa. "Why in Gaia's name would she want to see a man who would break her heart? Besides, she is going to meet her future husband, not dally with lesser men. I'm sure this, what did you call him, Narcissus, couldn't even be mildly wealthy or we would have heard of him from someone other than this infamous 'they'. He clearly isn't even worth contemplating."

"Of course, my lady," Isa says somewhat timidly, and returns to my hair in silence.

Mother turns to the servant that entered the room behind her. "Set it on the floor, and be gone."

I keep my head dutifully still, not turning to look to see what she's talking about. There is a slight thud and out of the corner of my eye I can see a servant leave. "Ariadne," Mother says brusquely, "I hope the clothes in this trunk will fit you when we leave for Thebes." What she doesn't say speaks much more loudly than what she does. She isn't hoping that they fit; she is telling me that they _must _fit. And if they don't I will adjust the size of my waist accordingly. Not waiting for me to respond, Mother sweeps gracefully out of the room.

"Yes, Mother," I say softly, even as her heels click down the hallway. It doesn't matter, though. She wouldn't have heard it any better if she had been standing right beside me. I sometimes wonder if she has ever heard a single thing I've said. For the most part I've stopped trying.

I, Ariadne, daughter of the King, am going to meet Actaeon, Prince of Thebes, the man who will be my husband. I will be traveling half-way across Greece, days away from my family, to marry a man I have never met. I have no opinion on the matter at all. I am going to marry a stranger and yet I cannot think anything about it. I have been trained since I was born to not think of anything, just do as I am told. I cannot remember ever having an opinion on anything. Nothing really matters anyway. I'd have to marry him even if I decided I wanted to be opposed to it. There's no point in having an opinion in a life like that. I just hope this Actaeon doesn't hit as hard and as frequently as my sister's husband.


	2. Of Dancing, stories, and a husband

Echo

Swirling. Turning. Dancing. Faces fly by. Colors, drenched in the light of the bonfire. Another partner spins me. Dresses spiral, people laugh, music plays. Another dance. I adore dances. This one is for luck. Luck in Artemis' week-long hunt that leaves tonight. Nine nymphs will be attending and aiding her on the hunt but I will not be one. That is fine with me. I regret that I have disappointed my mistresses, but I do not want to go. I would rather stay here and enjoy the night with the rest of my sisters. There will be stories later on tonight. I love telling stories, with all of my sisters watching me, listening to me, with rapt attention. It's even more fun than our wonderful dances.

Artemis' hunting dogs have begun to run between all us dancers, having fun with us. The drum beats pick up; the flutes and harps play a little louder. It's beautiful. Terpsichore, the muse of dance, has always said that dancing is the highest form of communication. Right now, I believe it. Even the stars seem to be dancing above us.

"My daughters," Artemis' voice rings out over the clearing. Not loudly, but powerful enough to throw us all into a still silence. The nine who will be in the hunt begin making their way up to take their places beside her.

Britomartis brushes my arm as she goes past and gives me a smile over her shoulder. "May the hunt go well," I whisper to her. She nods and proudly stands at Artemis' right, the place for the head attendant on the hunt. That is when I notice that Artemis is watching me. I cringe when I think of how sharply she dismissed me the other day. Could she still be angry?

Once the attendants are all in line, she speaks again. "May you be careful, may you walk in wisdom, and may fortune smile on you. While I am gone, you all must use caution in your decisions, particularly with whom you associate." She looks us all over for a minute, tightens her grip on her bow, and walks away, her attendants following.

The silence in the clearing lasts as long as Artemis is in view. But no longer. As soon as the group disappears through the trees we begin chattering. "That was strange." "What was that about?" "I wonder if something is wrong." "I bet it has something to do with Orion again." "Maybe she isn't coming back." "She sounded like Athena, handing out 'pearls of wisdom' like that." The gossip goes on. We all have our own theory about Artemis's strange speech. I thrive on the gossip.

Nissa, however, has other ideas. She takes any gossip about Artemis as a direct insult to Artemis' character and Gaia forbid we ever should question that. "My sisters, why are we here?" She pauses, waiting for an answer that she knows isn't going to come. "We are here to bring honor to Artemis' name, not spread rumors about her." We stand in silence, duly chastised, before she turns to me. "Echo, dear, why don't you start the stories now. I know how much you love that."

"Of course." I situate myself in front of the fire and all my sisters gather around. The firelight makes their eyes dance; I hold my breath in anticipation as I wait for them all to get comfortable. Tonight's story is that of our mistress' birth. One of my favorites to tell.

Once my tale is over, it is Callisto's turn. The rest of the night, the story telling seat passes among a few of us. I have it three times. Several story tellers glare at me when I try to jump in and help tell the story. I can't help it. I get so caught up, I find myself wanting to take part. Nissa snapped at me once. "Echo, you have had your turn twice now. This is my story."

Eventually the night sky begins to fade, and slowly, we all head back to our trees, weary from the night. I settle into my tree, and breathe in deeply. The sweet smell of morning. This has been a perfect night. I drift to sleep, happy, except for a slight, strange feeling that tomorrow might not go so well.

Ariadne

It has been a long journey. I long for home. That thought makes me realize, I am home. I will most like live here for the rest of my life. This palace. I must admit, it is lovely. But it doesn't feel like home. I still haven't met my betrothed. Mother decided I needed time 'to rest.' What she really meant was, 'go make yourself lovely for your future husband. He might not want you otherwise.'

I sink into the tub of my private baths, wiping away sweat and grime. The summer heat is nearly unbearable in the city; even the men, with bare legs and arms were sweating. I certainly was, wrapped in veils to protect my modesty. The bath helps, though. Actaeon seems to have spared no expense on my account. The rooms I will occupy until our wedding are extravagant, and include a private stairwell into my private bathhouse. It is a luxury I was never granted at home. Perhaps it won't be too bad, here. Although, more likely than not, it is merely a display of wealth that will disappear as soon as my escort returns home.

"My lady," one of my maids whispers softly to get my attention. I raise an eyebrow at her, not wanting to move any other part of my body. "Prince Actaeon is ready to see you."

My back aches horrendously from sitting upright in a chariot for so long and the idea of moving makes me want to cry. "Not yet," I say softly.

"But my lady, he requested to see you."

"Can't he wait?" I sound sulky and unpleasant and every part of my brain is telling me to get up. I can't move though. I cannot bring myself to get out of this tub.

The maid stands there for a minute, not quite sure what to do.

A mild sense of irritation fills me at her hesitation. "Well, go tell him he'll have to wait."

"Are you certain, my lady?"

No. I'm not certain. If I'm certain of anything it's that I need to get out of this tub right now. So why can't I move? _Get up. Get up. Get up, _whispers a soft voice in my brain. I desperately try to ignore it. I slide a little deeper into the water and watch the bewildered maid walk away out of the corner of my eye. It is a foolish thing to do. We are not married yet and he could very easily decide that he has no desire for such a bride. Not quiet and obedient. Not always prepared to attend to her husband. I will never hear the end of this from Mother. And if he doesn't want me... I try to erase that idea from my mind, but it won't leave. The voice, sounding amazingly like mother's, whispers, _that was foolish. You silly girl, what will you do now? No one will want you. No one will want you. Foolish. Foolish. Foolish._

No one will want me. That fear pulls me up out of the water in an instant. A few maids rush to wrap towels around me. "We must get you dressed quickly, mistress. His Highness is waiting."

"What do you mean? I just sent a maid to tell him-," My voice drops off as I see in the corner the maid that I had just sent. "Have you sent my message to Prince Actaeon yet?"

She says nothing. I look to my head attendant, who is watching me with pressed lips. She finally speaks. "Come, my lady. We must get you prepared to see your betrothed. There is much to do and he is waiting." She says it politely, but firmly. It is an order. I am being ordered by my own maids. Is this the life to which I am doomed? A life of following orders?

"I have changed my mind. I am not finished in the bath." I fling the towel wrapped around me at a maid, shake the one in my hair onto the floor, and get back in the warm water. There is a tense silence in the room as they stare at me in shock, trying to decide what to do. I am desperately trying to look calm and self-possessed. I am completely in control of the situation. I know what I am doing. _Foolish. Foolish. Foolish. No one will want you._

"My lady, do you really think-,"

"It is not up to you to question what I think. Your job is to obey orders. Get out. All of you. Out." They stare for a moment longer, torn between their duty to my parents and to me. Isa, sweet Isa, finally stands and walks back up the steps to my room. One by one they follow. I feel guilty, for I know that they will hear from mother about this, but at the moment I can't care. I am exercising my will. And at the moment, I want to sleep in the baths. So I do. And it is by far the sweetest nap I have ever taken.

When I finally awake, my stomach is twisted in knots. That adventurous spirit is gone, and the meek, obedient girl that I have been for the last seventeen years of my life is back. What have I done? _No one will want you. No one will want you. No one. _It's true. I have to go see Actaeon, apologize and then be silent. Obedient. A good wife.

I wrap my fingers, which are now highly reminiscent of prunes, around the railing to pull myself out of the water. Before I can, I notice there is a man in the room. Staring at me. There is a man staring at my naked body. Oh gods, what have I done? Before I can scream for help, he stands up.

"Please, do not be alarmed."

I desperately try to cover myself with my arms, painfully aware of the fact that the clear water hides nothing. "You-,"

He laughs slightly. "Please, lady, I am Prince Actaeon, your betrothed." My mind is racing. What do I say? What do I do? There is a man looking at me. I'm certain that my entire face is bright red in embarrassment.

He continues speaking. "I apologize if I have alarmed you by coming down here. I admit I was eager to meet you. If I had known you were in the bath, I might have come even earlier." I am so embarrassed I want to die. A slow, painful death by torture would be better than this.

"P-p-please, your highness," I finally manage to spit out. "I-," I can get no farther. My tongue, like the rest of my body, is frozen. He has come to inform me that he doesn't want me. I am too rude. I will not be a good wife. No one wants me. I should go home and deal with the fact that I will be an old maid forever. I desperately try not to cry. Refined ladies do not cry. I will not cry.

He frowns. "Would you prefer me to turn around while you get out? To… what do they say… preserve your feminine modesty?"

I nod my head vigorously. As soon as his back is turned I dash towards my clothing. As quickly as possible I try to dry off and get dressed at the same time. I have never done either of them myself. I can't quite figure out how to drape my clothes, and it certainly isn't as easy as my maids make it look. My shaking hands make it even worse, but I finally manage to completely cover myself.

His back is still turned when I am finished. I briefly consider making a run for the stairwell, but where would I go? I'm in his palace.

"Are you quite decent yet?"

"I- I suppose."

He turns around, but I still can't manage to look at him. The blush has only just begun to fade from my face. No need to bring it back.

I finally find my voice. "Your highness, I am terribly sorry if you found the message I sent you to be impertinent. I never meant-,"

"Please, my dear, we will be married in a few days. Call me Actaeon; there is no need to worry about ridiculous formalities. And I am the one that should be apologizing to you." He frowns slightly, "I guess I should have thought today out a little better."

I am stunned. I don't know what to say. I have known very few men in my life, only my father, two brothers-in-law, and an uncle, but none of them would be caught dead saying this to a woman. I have been trained my entire life how to behave around my husband, but I have never expected this. A husband is supposed to yell, and make demands; beat his wife when she is disobedient, and expect her to be silent until she is spoken to. Isn't he?

"I was hoping that you would be willing to take a tour of my city with me tomorrow afternoon."

Is this really happening? "Of course. That would be… it would be lovely. Thank you." I feel like I'm in a dream.

He seems pleased. "Good, I shall come for you tomorrow afternoon then." And he walks up the stairwell, leaving me staring after him, completely and utterly confused.


	3. Following a Lizard and Touring the City

Echo

I am lost, running through the forest alone. Something is following me. Something dark. Darker than the black night sky above me. I can barely see the branches that scratch at my face. The trees have turned against me, trying to hold me back as I run from the shadow. I try to scream for help, but no sound comes out. The shadow is getting closer.

I awake with a gasp. My lungs desperate for air, my heart still thudding from fear, but I can't remember why. The sky is bright and sunny. A perfect day. The sun washes away the nightmare. I can't even remember what it was about. I leave my tree and wander towards the stream, hoping for a quick dip in the water and maybe a little chat with the Naiads.

As I walk I pick up a little lizard, who flicks his tongue at me. "How are you this glorious morning, little one?" I ask him. His skin turns a brilliant shade of green and he flicks his tongue to the left. A sure sign he's happy.

"I'm happy too, my dear lizard. Doesn't the sun seem particularly lovely this morning?" He jumps out of my hand and scurries away but pauses to look back at me with a tilt of his head. "All right," I tell him, "I'm coming. I don't know why you're in such a hurry, though. Mornings like this are meant to be savored." I follow him for a while, chastising him playfully for dragging me around so early in the morning. I don't really mind, I'm always happy to have someone to talk to.

The lizard, whom I have decided to call Happy since I can't properly pronounce his real name, and I slowly make our way towards the clearing where I can hear my sisters laughing gaily. They are all sitting around a man lounging against a rock in the grass. It is Zeus! I give a happy shout and run into the cluster of nymphs. Happy easily scurries through my sisters, climbs up Zeus' leg and perches on his shoulder, looking quite proud of himself.

"Well hey there, little fellow. What brings you here?" Happy flicks his tongue in my direction and Zeus looks up at me with a smile. "Are you the one who brought our lizard friend?"

"Well, to be more accurate, sir, he brought me. He led me here as soon as I got up this morning."

"He seems to have chosen his companion well. You are a pretty thing. Come sit by me, my dear." I make my way towards him as my sisters scoot around to make room for me.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I am always happy to such pretty little nymphs like you around. You know, your sisters were just telling me about the dance last night. What did you think of it?"

"Oh, it was wonderful! I do love dances, and dancing and we had such a wonderful time. I danced until I thought my feet would fall off." Zeus laughed loudly at this exclamation, and my sisters and I all joined in. I am overjoyed. I love being surrounded by friends and family, all of us laughing together. It is, of course, best of all when I am the center of attention.

My sisters and I sit around regaling Zeus with our many stories, and I am always pleased when he comes back to me. Every once in a while he moves a little closer to me; puts his arm around my shoulder, or his leg up against mine. He's so nice like that. A moment later Nissa shouts "Echo! Why don't you tell Zeus that story you were telling us last night?"

"Wait a moment," Zeus says to me with a strange look, "_You're_ Echo?"

"Of course." I laugh at him, "No one else tells stories like I do."

"That would make sense. She knows me well," he whispers to himself. He stands up quickly, "Well, my dears, it has been wonderful, but I really must be going." He looks uncomfortable. All my sisters give up a cry, insisting that Zeus stay just a little bit longer. "No, no, I really must be going, important business, you know."

As he walks by Nissa I notice that he raises his eyebrows at her. She nods in reply. I also notice a few moments later when Nissa follows Zeus out of the clearing, both with strange smiles on their faces, and that strange feeling of foreboding I felt last night is back.

Ariadne

Mother is lecturing me again. The only reason I can bear listening to her is because she is leaving in two days. The wedding is tomorrow; she and father have no need to stay beyond that. She had been absolutely livid when I saw her last night, until I explained what had happened. I left out the fact that he had seen me naked. She is in a flutter about what I am going to wear. I find it strange that I actually want to look good for Actaeon this afternoon. I want to impress him.

"You must be your absolute best today," Mother says for what must be the eighteenth time. "Here, which necklace to you prefer? This one." And before I can answer her question, Isa is putting the necklace on me. "Isa! Be careful, you'll mess up her hair. Which veil? This one is perfect." Years of experience prevents me from even making an effort to answer. She's not listening anyway.

"Now don't forget yourself. Men don't like chatty women. And don't slouch, it's so unattractive…," the lecture goes on. I am beginning to feel it will never end.

Finally, a maid comes in, curtsies to mother and announces Actaeon's presence in the sitting room.

"Yes, thank you. We're coming. Stand up, let me take one last look at you." She takes a step back to take in the whole effect. She nods, satisfied. "Hurry up, we can't leave him waiting." And she rushes out through the door. I take one last look in the mirror. I wonder for the hundredth time today if he will think I am beautiful. He didn't seem to mind watching my body last night, but I don't think that's quite the same. I sigh, send up a quick prayer that this will go well, and follow mother.

I step in the room silently, listening to mother attempt to flatter Actaeon. "It is wonderful to know we are giving our daughter to such a wonderful man as yourself. So kind and handsome and wealthy. It comforts me to know she will be cared for." What she really means is that she's glad that she and father now have near unlimited power and wealth, being related to him. This is the first chance I have had to study Actaeon, since last night I was too horrified to be able to look at him. He isn't as old as I expected him to be. Not much more than 25 perhaps. Only eight years older than me if my guess is accurate; my sisters would be furiously jealous. And mother wasn't lying, he really is quite handsome. I am pleased to notice that he doesn't really seem to be interested in mother's flattery. She, of course, doesn't notice.

Actaeon jumps up with an almost relieved smile the moment notices me. It's a sweet smile. It warms me. "Are you ready, Ariadne?"

"Yes, your highness."

"Actaeon," he corrects me.

"Actaeon." I smile at him gratefully. Mother's eyes widen at such informality. But what can she say? Actaeon offers me his arm, which I promptly take, and we walk out together.

He makes small talk as we walk through the palace. I stay silent, nodding occasionally and attempting a demure smile. Every once in a while he asks me a question. "What do you think of your rooms?" "Does the weather here suit you?" "Would you prefer to walk or take a chariot through the city?" I always try to answer in as few words as possible and concentrate on not slouching.

He stops suddenly. "Do you dislike me?"

"What?"

"Do you dislike me?"

Oh no, I've done something wrong. Did I not smile enough? Was I too demure? Did I slouch? Should I nod more? "Of course not. Why would you ask me that?"

"Because you don't say anything. All the women I know talk nonstop and seem to enjoy it thoroughly. Except when my sisters are angry with me and seem to take pleasure in giving me the silent treatment. Well, I suppose there was that girl in-," he pauses for a moment, and hurries on, "but that is beside the point. Why do you not talk?"

I stare at him for a minute. What? _Men don't like chatty women. _In the end that's all I can think to say, "Men don't like chatty women." He laughs. Long and loud. It would be a wonderful laugh if it were not directed at me. But it is; he is laughing at me. I am hurt, and a little confused. I stand there feeling lost, wishing I had something to say. Wishing I had the nerve to chastise him. To tell him to stop. To do something. Not just stand here, wanting to runaway and hide.

As soon as he notices my expression he stops. "What's wrong? I've gone and upset you again. I apologize."

"Do you mean to say that men don't dislike chatty women?"

"Some men don't, I suppose. I, on the other hand, have been surrounded by women with the inability to stop speaking my entire life. I find it comforting. You'll have to meet my sisters some day."

"Oh." I don't know what else to say.

He smiles. "Shall we carry on? And please, don't hesitate to speak up."

The rest of the day passes like a dream. We tour the city for hours, but I barely remember it. I don't see much beyond him. I laugh more than I ever have in my life. He encourages me to give my opinions on matters. He listens when I talk. It's a strange feeling, but wonderful.

Actaeon obviously loves his land and his people, and takes a great deal of pride in showing me all the buildings he's ordered built. We finally reach a huge building. Its tall white pillars have a certain grace to them, as do the designs along the side of the building. It must be a temple. Few other buildings would be built with such care. It truly is a lovely temple, and I tell him so.

His eyes light up. "Thank you. I am glad you think so. It is my favorite in the entire city. It's Artemis'."

"But Apollo is the patron god of the city. Why is Artemis' temple so much grander?"

He smiles and looks away. He really does have a beautiful smile. It is warm and true. "I don't think I want to tell you."

"How mysterious. Could we at least go in?" I say with a laugh.

Before he can answer a squad of soldiers ride up to us on horseback.

"Prince Actaeon, raiders south of the city. It's bad," says the man at the head of the squad.

Actaeon nods and points at two soldiers. "You two, stay with her," and he climbs up on one of the horses that the soldiers have just vacated. He turns to me. "My love, I'm sorry about this but duty calls. These two will show you anything you want to see and escort you home safely." To the soldiers he says "Anything that happens to her will happen to you." As soon as they nod in confirmation he kicks his horse and the group of soldiers rides away.

I stand there and watch them until they are out of sight. That amazing man will be my husband. My love. Mine. Forever. It has been a while since I last felt the emotion I am feeling now, but I think that it's happiness.


	4. Prelude to an Affair

Echo

Since Zeus' visit was so short, I decide I might as well follow my original plans for the day. A dip in the river and a chat with the naiads sounds like just the thing. Normally I would invite Britomartis, but she was off on the hunt, or Nissa, but she… I shake my head and ignore that odd feeling that something isn't right. What could be wrong with her leaving with Zeus?

The clearing is mostly empty, as my sisters make their way off towards their respective trees or to do whatever it is they'll do today. Callisto, however, is lying in the grass, staring up at the sky. "Feel like going to the river?" I ask her.

"No. I'm feeling quite content right here."

I shrug, not really minding. I can always find someone to keep me company along the way. Turning in the direction of the river, I start walking, humming a little song to myself. The lilies are in full bloom and I pause every once in a while to pick one, weaving them into a crown for myself.

I hear soft voices and giggling, then, not too far from me. Giggling is always a good sign, and I am hoping for some company, so I change my path slightly so I can find whoever it is. But when I find them, the chain of flowers in my hands falls to the ground. My lungs won't seem to breathe anymore.

Nissa is lying with Zeus. Their hands run over each other's naked bodies. They both moan as they move together. I am frozen. I don't want to see this. I do not want to know that it is even happening. I want to run away and forget this ever happened. But I can't. I can't move. I do not know how to react. What to think. What to do. My beloved sister is lying with Zeus.

This is wrong in so many ways. She, like Artemis and all of her dreiads, has foresworn sex for eternity. And Zeus… he's married to Hera. The most terrifying, unforgiving woman imaginable. What is she _doing? _What could she possibly be _thinking?_

Almost as if the mere fact that I thought her name could bring her, the trees start whispering. She is coming. Hera is.

Nissa's voice, which had been merely a hushed whisper moments before, turns harsh and tense. Scared. They know she's coming, too.

"You can't leave me here," she says, half crying, with desperation in her voice. "She will destroy me."

I can barely hear Zeus' voice, and I try to hush my rapidly beating heart. "I must go."

Nissa is positively frantic. "No, she will know what we have done. She always knows. She will make me suffer if you do not protect me."

"We will both suffer if I do." And he is gone. He has left her alone to fend for herself.

I have heard stories about what Hera does to the women with whom Zeus has affairs. I have even told some of the stories myself. The goddess has a creative touch for vengeance and terror strikes my heart when I think of it being taken out on Nissa. I must do something.

I step out beside her. "Nissa, get up." She doesn't move, doesn't even look at me, a look of horror frozen on her face. "Come on, Nissa." I grab her arm, pull her up and start dragging her along. She follows as if in a dream. If I were to let go of her arm she would stop, but as long as I pull her, she follows.

At first, I have no set direction. I only want to avoid Hera until we can find Artemis. But I need some sort of plan. Nissa's dream-like movements are slowing me down. I would never be able to find Artemis, pulling her around like this. And, I glance back behind us, she is leaving a trail. I might be a poor huntress, but any dreiad can move without leaving a detectable trail. But Nissa plods behind me with the stealth of a mule.

And then I remember a cave not too far from here. There is a wide clearing in front of it, but it is fairly well hidden by a chestnut tree. It takes us only a few minutes to get there, and Nissa is still lost in shock.

I carefully lower her to the ground, saying "I'm going to find Artemis; I'll be back as soon as I can."

Much to my surprise, she speaks. Her voice is so quiet I can barely hear her, completely void of emotion. "You think that you're different. That you're special."

"What?"

"You think that he'll protect you. And when you lay in his arms, you haven't a fear in the world. And you convince yourself that all those other girls were nothing. And somehow, in some strange way, you think that it must have been their own fault. If they were better, smarter, prettier... But not you. Because he loves you."

"Nissa, I have to go find Artemis."

Her hand reaches out and grabs my arm. "No. Don't leave."

"I have to."

"It's no use. She will find me. And you cannot leave me alone." Her grip tightens and her eyes widen. "She's coming."

I turn my head towards the cave entrance and listen to the whisper of the trees. Nissa is right. I am stunned at how fast she found us.

"Then go get Artemis," I say, feeling almost desperate. "She will protect you. I'll stall Hera." I grab her arm and pull her to her feet once more. The idea seems to ignite some hope in her and she takes off at a run. I follow her out of the cave and into the clearing.

Mere seconds later I can hear Hera's voice, calling out "I know you're here; there is no point hiding." And so I wait, praying for help and desperately trying to plan a way to survive.

Ariadne

Actaeon and I walk along a pond in one of his beautiful gardens in silence. They are remarkably well tended, obviously with great care. I watch the little waterfall in one of the ponds, staring at it intently. I vaguely hope that if I stare at it hard enough, it will distract me from my troubled heart.

Actaeon's voice pulls me from my thoughts. "Ariadne, do you remember when I showed you Artemis' temple, and you asked why it was so much grander than Apollo's?"

"Yes, of course."

"You are the reason." When Actaeon sees my confused look he continues speaking. "I have a great love of hunting, so I have always prayed fervently to Artemis. Evidently my prayers and sacrifices pleased her because she came to me one day in the woods while I was hunting. I didn't know it was her at first. I demanded that she move out of my way. But as soon as she spoke I could feel her divinity through every inch of my body and I dropped to my knees, prepared to die for my insolence. But her stroke never fell. She spoke to me. 'Actaeon of Thebes, long have you prayed to me. You have been a faithful follower and I wish to reward you. But for the insolence you spoke your reward shall not be free. Build me a temple. Grander than any seen in Thebes before. Build it for me in one year, and I will find you a wife of surpassing beauty and grace. Her spirit shall be sweet and her heart shall be light. She will bring you great pleasure. Build me this temple, and never allow your wife to enter it. The day she enters it will be the day you lose her.' So Artemis' temple was built. It took us 6 days less than one year, but we did it. You see, you are the wife Artemis sent for me. Surpassing beauty and grace. A sweet spirit and a light heart. You bring me great pleasure. Ariadne, you truly are a gift from the gods."

I lean into his arms. His words are music to my soul, but that concern that has been eating at me all morning intensifies. I have been in Artemis' temple.

When I had asked Actaeon if we could go in, he hadn't said no. He hadn't really said yes, either, but he had said that the guards would show me anything I wanted to see and I wanted to see the temple. I couldn't explain why. Temples had never interested me before, but I felt drawn to this one. I wanted to see it.

I had asked the guards Actaeon assigned me if we could go in, and they nodded silently. So we did. It was as beautiful on the inside as the outside. There was a heavy scent of incense that lingered among the columns, weighing down on the silence. It even_ felt_ like sacred ground. My guards, whom had yet to say anything, always stayed just a few steps behind me. Their foot falls seemed muffled by the heaviness of the air.

There was a sudden metallic slice as both my guards ripped their swords out of their sheaths. I spun around to look behind me. There, held still by the point of two swords, was a man. The most handsome man I have ever seen. My heart raced; I began to feel dizzy. He was perfect. Radiant as the sun, sweeter than a warm ocean breeze. Perfect. And I wanted him.

"I'm sorry gentlemen," he said in a rich, soothing voice. "I didn't realize the temple was off limits." It sounded a bit sarcastic, but of course it should. They pulled a sword on him in a temple. He should be outraged. He must be a wonderful man to not be.

"It's not," barked one of the guards, "But the girl is."

"I see why such beauty must be protected," and he smiled at me. Beauty? Is he talking about me? He thinks I'm beautiful. His smile made me weak in the knees.

The other guard poked his sword a little closer to the man. "Carry on now."

"But of course." The man bowed gracefully to me. "Farewell, my lady." And walked away. I was still in a daze even once he was gone. He was perfect.

"My lady, we should be getting you back to the palace."

Being addressed made me snap out of my daze, but I still couldn't get that man out of my mind. "Let's go then."

The memory of him is as vivid as if it were happening now. _The day she enters the temple will be the day you lose her_. Well, that was yesterday, and we are still getting married. Maybe Actaeon misunderstood what Artemis had said. Or maybe she didn't really mean it. I decide that that must be what it was. It calms me a little, but if I would allow myself to listen to my heart I would know it's not true. He has already lost me, because all I can think about is that man. The most perfect man in the world.


	5. A Wish or Two for Death

Echo

I can see fleeting colors of Hera's clothes through the trees. She is coming closer. I stand there waiting for a moment before I finally manage to summon all my courage. "Hera! Oh, beautiful Hera, I am so happy that you are here."

She is standing beside me in a flash, glaring at me. "You are not her."

"Hera, great Hera, I have always wanted to meet you to see if the stories were true."

Evidently the stories are true: flattery works stunningly well with her, because the glare leaves her eyes and she truly studies me for a moment. "What stories?"

"That you are even more beautiful than Aphrodite. And they are true. How do you become so lovely?"

"Oh, aren't you sweet? I was born that way, dear. Now I really am in a hurry-,"

"Wait! You must tell me, please. You see, there's this man that I want to impress." My mind is racing. What am I doing? I don't even recognize myself as I am speaking, but I have to protect Nissa. Just keep talking, I tell myself. Tell her a story. "He doesn't think I am lovely enough, and I love him dearly. He has such a wonderful taste of aesthetics. He only will consider the most beautiful women in the world. It almost got him in trouble once, you know, the poor thing."

"Yes, that's quite nice." She says shortly, and starts to walk past me.

"But your husband saved him,"

That got her attention. "Zeus? What did my husband do for your little friend, exactly?"

"Oh, well you see Nereus caught the hearts of many women, but he always turned them down-," I am completely making this story up as I go along. I wonder how long it will take her to figure out that it will probably never end. Shortly after Nereus gets turned into a goat by Aphrodite, I notice a slight look of suspicion on her face.

"Where does my husband come into the story?"

I smile as brightly and innocently as I know how. "Oh, he comes in right after Nereus got a terrible disease. That's after he becomes a person again, of course. It would be quite terrible for him to be diseased as a goat, wouldn't it?"

"This is ridiculous. I don't have time for this." And she starts push past me.

"No, wait-," I shout.

A few steps later she stops. She stands there for a minute. "She was here," and turns back around to look at me. I stand there silently as she slowly figures out what was going on. "You were covering for them." There is a livid glare in her eyes that makes me shudder.

"For whom? My Lady Hera, I don't understand. I just wanted to meet you and tell you my story."

"You dare lie to me?" Her voice was quiet but the raw fury behind it terrified me.

"My lady-"

"Silence! My husband was here and you were covering for the little whore he was with." She began walking closer to me. "That makes you just as bad as her."

"No, no my lady- I," I backed up as she came so close to me I could feel her breath as she spoke. I can barely stand up any more. What have I done? My back slams into a tree. There is nowhere else to go and her horrifying eyes are only inches from mine.

"I will give you one chance," she hisses, "and one chance only, so listen very carefully." I am almost whimpering with fear as she goes on. "Where is the woman that was with my husband?"

I open my mouth and a small cry comes out. She scoffs at me. "We were so eager to talk earlier, weren't we? But now… it's almost like you've forgotten how." She is laughing now. A cold, cruel laugh. I thought I couldn't be any more terrified. Her hand reaches out and grabs my neck, forcing my head against the tree. Her eyes hold more evil than Hades'. I cannot breathe. She whispers in my ear, "You will pay for this." I am going to die. The only question is how slow and horrible will it be?

Then, a most beautiful voice fills my ears. "Hello, Hera." I must be dreaming. But Hera's head snaps around and I know it's real. It's Artemis. Hera steps away. Once her hand leaves my neck I slide to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Artemis," says Hera, "I thought you were on hunt."

"I was. One of my nymphs informed me of trouble at home. But if you are here, Hera, everything must be fine." I don't look up, but I can see the smirk in her voice.

'I was just about to teach your little nymph here a lesson for lying to a goddess."

"Well thank you Hera, I'll take it from here."

I heard a slight chuckle from Hera, and then she was gone.

"There will be hell to pay tomorrow." Artemis says with a sigh, more to herself than me. "What was that about, Echo?

I open my mouth to answer. Nothing comes out. What? Why not? I try again. "I saw Zeus with Nissa." I try to say. But I can't. I cannot make a sound.

"Come on, Echo, I haven't got all day. I've got to deal with Nissa, who is in tears back at camp, certain that you are already dead, which is somehow her fault, I'm led to understand. Then I need to go see Zeus about getting this whole mess cleaned up with Hera. Why is she threatening to kill you, anyway?

I stare at her helplessly. I move my lips but there is still no noise. Nothing at all. I begin to panic. Why won't my voice work?

Artemis finally begins to understand at looks at me in wide-eyed pity. I can't help it anymore. I break down into tears. I am sobbing uncontrollably, but there is still no sound. Nothing. Just the silence of the wood, flooding my ears. I want to scream and shout. Nothing. I can't make any noise at all. So I sit there. I want to die.

Ariadne

The wedding is today. It passes in a daze. Follow this person, repeat after this person, stand over here, and somewhere along the way Actaeon and I are married. I am not given any time alone throughout the entire day, and as soon as I begin to feel overwhelmed, someone is announcing that it is time for the wedding banquet. I am in desperate need of some time alone. Time to absorb this whole idea of being a married woman. But it is not granted to me. I must receive my well-wishers.

Late into the banquet I see him again. _Him_. My heart soars and sinks at the same time. My skin grows warm, my blood runs cold. Every inch of me longs to go over and speak to him. To wrap my arms around him; to kiss his sweet face. He is perfect. I close my eyes for a moment. You are a Princess, Ariadne, married to a great Prince. Pull yourself together. He is only a man.

Of course. He is only a man. I will prove it to myself. I can speak to him with the ease I had when speaking to my other guests. I slowly and casually weave through the crowd until I am directly across from him. I am calm, he means nothing to me. He looks at me and I feel I could drown in his eyes. I would give anything just to hear his voice. Feel the touch of his hand against my skin. He means nothing to me. I decide his look is invitation enough, not that I need one; I will be queen soon. I take a few more steps towards him and smile. He still says nothing.

"Hello." I say in my most regal tone. "I am-"

"Yes, I know who you are."

My eyes flash cold, but only because I force them to. He has no right to interrupt me. But his voice sends shivers down my spine and I am ridiculously overjoyed that he knows who I am. "And you are…?" I say, trying to sound cold and aloof. He means nothing to me.

"Narcissus."

I know that name. _They say there is a man in Thebes so handsome, so perfect, that he breaks the heart of every woman who sees him. Narcissus, they call him_. He is the man that Isa told me about. The man so handsome, so perfect, he breaks the heart of every woman who sees him. It is true. Standing beside him is torture yet I would rather cut off my feet than leave him. He means nothing to me. "Lovely to meet you Narcissus." And I turn to walk away. I must go to my husband. I must leave this man.

He reaches out, and his fingers stroke my arm. I would have any other man beaten for being so bold, but Narcissus' touch is better than the kiss of any god. I desperately try to hide a shudder, but there is a smirk in his eye that tells me he felt it.

"Perhaps, Ariadne, we could take a stroll out on the terrace."

Part of my head is screaming at me. He is pompous and arrogant. His audacity is appalling and he deserves no more than a good slap. But I am giddy. He wants me, _me_ to go out on the terrace with him. As calmly as I possibly can I say, "Perhaps." He leads me outside, around the edge of the room, avoiding as many people as possible.

Outside I lean up against a tall pillar, feeling its coolness as I stare up at the moon and the heroes of the past, outlined in stars. The night air is warm, but refreshing. I can feel his presence behind me. A cool breeze washes across my face and it seems to whisper to me. _This is wrong_, it says, _he is nothing. Find your husband_. For a split second it brings me to my senses, but before I can say anything it is gone and his lips are on the back of my neck. He drags a line of kisses down my spine as far as my dress will allow. I feel his hands sliding around my waist and up to my breasts. I want him. Now.

"Oh, Ariadne," a voice murmurs into my neck. Wait. I spin around and find myself staring into the eyes of my new husband, who is looking at me with a ridiculous grin. "Is there problem darling?"

"No, not at all," I force a smile. "Just a little cold," and suddenly I am. I cannot believe what could have happened. What I would have allowed to happen. What I would have done. It makes me sick to think of it.

"In this heat?" He reaches out to feel my arm which has almost instantly become cold and clammy. A look of concern crosses his face. "Are you sure you're alright?"

How could I lie to such a wonderful man? One who has taken such wonderful care of me? Who so clearly adores me? But I do anyway. "Of course," I say, forcing a smile. "I just need to go back in where it's warmer."

"Well then by all means, let's." He offers me an arm and leads me back in. I glance behind us and I think I see a shadow lurking by a far pillar. I blink and it's gone, so I am not sure. But I am sure that Narcissus was not seen in the palace again that night.

I sit at the dressing table in my room. Alone. I have sent my maids away; their very presence makes me ill. I have been married a week. There was some sort of dire situation out in the countryside that could not, absolutely could _not_, be solved without Actaeon. I don't know what it was. I don't care. I can feel myself crawling back into my shell that Actaeon had spent the last week coaxing me out of. I don't even care about that.

When I am alone, though, _he_ is all I can think of. Narcissus. How I wish it had been him with me last night. His perfect hands stroking every inch of my skin. When Actaeon is gone I toss and turn in our bed, unable to sleep, wishing Narcissus were here. I am going mad. I try going to bed for the third time tonight, praying that this time would grant me the sweet relief of a dreamless sleep.

There is a noise at the foot of my bed. I can see nothing in the darkness. Another footstep and a slight sound of breathing.

"Actaeon? Is someone there?" I say softly, barely daring to breathe.

No response. Just more steps nearing the bed. I strain my eyes and can faintly see an outline of a person as they come beside me and sit down on the edge of my bed. He leans forward and begins kissing my neck. I hear his voice, barely a whisper, "You have been waiting for me."

It is Narcissus. I gasp as his lips move down my chest. "This is a dream."

"You will never have a dream as wonderful as this night will be." His soft breath against my chest fills me with longing. I want him. Every fiber of my being wants him wrapped around me.

"But- Actaeon,"

"He is nothing." With those words, all my other thoughts melt away. Actaeon is nothing. My world, my everything, is right here. I am his slave. Anything he wants, I will do. I love him; I want him; I need him.

He sits up with a satisfied smile. "Take off your clothes." I immediately obey.

That's all the rest of the night is. He demands; I obey. Soon, I am exhausted, but I want nothing more than to please him. My love. My only. Whenever I speak he immediately silences me, but I am sure that it is only so he can better enjoy the pleasure I bring him.

Finally, as the sky begins to lighten, he lies back, spent. Now is the time to say the words I have been longing to say all night. I curl up beside his perfect, beautiful body, pressing myself closer to him. "O my sweet Narcissus, you are amazing beyond words. I love you more than life itself. I am yours forever. I could live forever just on your lovely gaze."

He pushes himself up and slides off the bed. He looks back at me with a scoff as he begins to dress. It would break my heart if I didn't know I had just misread him. But I know that I did. He wouldn't scoff at me. And my Narcissus would never leave me. I jump up after him and throw my arms around his neck. "O Narcissus, tell me you feel the same way."

He shoves me back on the bed with a sharp laugh. No. This can't be happening. "Narcissus, is something wrong?" I ask timidly. There must be something wrong. Otherwise he would be telling me how much he loves me. Wants me, needs me.

"You've got a nice body Ariadne; it was a good night, nothing more." He laughs as he walks out the door. It echoes down the corridor. No. This is not happening. There is nothing else for me. I want to die.


	6. Conversations

Artemis

What is it with her and making my life difficult? Hera. My life would be so easy if it weren't for her. I pace outside Father's temple. I can hear her in there now, yelling. I can't make out the words but I know what she is yelling about. My dreiads. Or maybe even me. I sit on the steps with a heavy sigh. This is going to be ugly and unpleasant. The longer I can put it off the better.

"Why the long face, sister?"

I look up to see Apollo walking towards me. "Hera."

He snorts. "What a shock. That cow of a goddess has always hated both of us. She's just jealous that her children turned out so damn horrible, unlike Zeus' other children. Well, some of us anyway. But hers are definitely the worst. That crippled little git and a psychotic sadist. What wonderful children."

"Apollo," I say in a lecturing tone of voice that is amazingly like Mother's, "You shouldn't talk about Hephaestus that way. It's not his fault that father threw him off Mount Olympus." I don't bother arguing the comment about Ares. I can't say it's completely unjust.

"I hear he beats Aphrodite."

"You hear he beats Aphrodite," I repeat with a look of sheer skepticism. "Apollo-"

"It's true!"

"What makes you think she would put up with that? I swear, Apollo, you are so gullible. And I almost wish he would. She's having an affair with his brother! They just need to split up. But this entire conversation is completely beside the point."

"Oh yes, we were discussing Hera. What's going on with her now?"

"You remember how I was worried about Echo?" He nods. "She can no longer speak, thanks to Hera. From what I gather, Echo was covering for one of my other dreiads who was sleeping with Zeus. Hera, of course, was livid that she didn't catch whomever it was that Zeus was having an affair with, and tried to take out her anger on Echo. The only reason that Echo is still alive is that I was summoned and stopped her in time."

"I thought your nymphs had taken a vow of chastity, same way you have."

I snort, rather unbecomingly, I must admit. He actually seems shocked to hear that they break that vow. "It means nothing to most them. There are few who haven't broken it. And when Zeus comes around wanting some they are quite willing to give it to him."

"Well, I did get my charm and good looks from Father."

"Right." I roll my eyes at him. "Anyway, the worst part about it all is that father just promised me that he would stay far away from Echo. I suppose I should be grateful he wasn't sleeping with her. But if he had just stayed away from my dreiads this wouldn't have happened."

"Last I heard he had been on a kick for naiads. He must have moved on."

I shrug. I try to avoid father's affairs. I've realized that the farther away from them you are, the less likely you are to have to deal with Hera. "I don't understand it. I don't understand at all, why he feels the need to have sex with women and girls and nymphs, and leave them to deal with the consequences." I shake my head, trying to push down the anger that fills me.

Apollo says nothing. It's probably for the best, because I know, deep in my heart, that he does the same thing as Father. He tells women that he loves them, that he'll care for them, and then leaves them after a night of sex. I don't understand it. We sit in silence for a while, until he says quietly, "Storm clouds are gathering."

I look out over the sky and sure enough it looks like a wicked storm is forming. A steady wind has picked up that smells strongly of rain. Father is angry. Furious, to judge by the strength of the storm coming. "Hera must have gone too far."

"You should really enjoy your conversation with him, then."

I sigh. "Well, if he's mad at her, it should make things a little easier for me." A moment later I feel a little tingle at the base of my neck. Someone is praying to me. Generally I ignore prayers; I don't particularly care for answering them, but anything for an excuse to put this off a little longer. "I have to go. Someone needs help."

"What? Since when do you go rushing off to help every person who sends a prayer or two your way? I thought people had to be regular devotees to you before you'll even listen to them."

"Yes, well that was before I was desperate to put off dealing with this whole Hera and Echo situation."

"I see… coward."

"An aversion to Hera is not cowardice, it's merely common sense."

He laughs. A real laugh. It is good to hear one of those. "You got me there, sister. Go help your little follower."

Ariadne

Actaeon still isn't home, which makes what I'm about to do slightly easier. But only slightly. I don't want to do it, but as soon as I got the idea, I knew it was the only way. I spent the entire morning staring out the window, planning it. To be honest, the only way it could possibly work is if a god watches over me. If he turns the eyes of the guards and silences my footsteps. I'm so terrified at the idea of getting caught, I can barely stand it. My stomach is in knots; my hands shake; my lungs can't seem to pull in enough air. And I haven't even begun.

But I see no other way. It is decided.

Now that it's night, I can't put it off any longer. Dressed in my darkest cloak, I climb out the window and drop with a thud to the roof below. I am certain that someone had to have heard it, but I don't wait long enough to find out. Crouching low, I run across the roof to the outermost edge of the palace. This is the tricky part. Getting to the ground. An oak tree grows a few feet away from the wall, with branches that lean over where I am. I look at it, wondering how I could possibly use it to my advantage. If I had been born a boy… _If you had been born a boy, you would have been smart enough to keep yourself out of this situation. But you weren't. You were just a foolish girl. A foolish, foolish girl. _That voice- the one that sounds like my mother- has been whispering in my ear for far too long. I believe it.

I almost turn back. What is the point of this? It will never work. _Actaeon's knife is still in the drawer. Do the world a favor and rid it of another foolish girl._ It's an appealing thought. I truly want no more than to die. If Actaeon knew… Actaeon

I think of the wonderful feeling of warmth, of comfort, that I get in his arms. His wonderful smile. His sweet kisses. I take off my cloak, shivering in the night air, and lean over the edge of the roof towards a limb of the oak tree. Praying the entire time, I tie the cloak the branch; it is a poor job, I know, but the best I can do. As a last minute thought, I take the small bag that holds my offering out of the pocket of my cloak, and drop it to the ground. With shaking hands and a rapidly beating heart, I grip the end of my cloak, shut my eyes, and jump.

Amazingly, the cloak holds. But I can't grip it very well. I am too terrified to open my eyes and see how far from the ground I am. I let go and land with a painful gasp on the ground. For a moment I can't breathe. My entire backside throbs. But I can't wait. I force myself up, taking the offering that lies beside me, and set off in the direction that I think the temple is in.

I glance back over my shoulder half way down the street. A guard is patrolling the edge of the palace. Any moment now, he will find my cloak and sound the alarm. I will have no way back into the palace. But it's too late now. I turn and start running.

I had thought that this would be the easy part. Once I was out of the palace, it would be downhill from there. I was wrong. I can see the gracefully angled roof of the temple, rising up over the surrounding buildings. But how do I _get _there? I must have been out here for hours now, completely lost.

And that's when it begins to rain. Surely some god has cursed me. Tears mix with raindrops on my cheeks. This will never work.

But I can't give up. I won't give up. I've come too far for that. I look around, and realize that I recognize that house. I start running. I know, almost instinctively, to turn right at the next corner. Left at the one after that. And there it is. Artemis' temple. I run up the front steps, forgetting that I need to be cautious. It is the sound of boots on the marble floor that reminds me.

I run behind the nearest pillar, trying to make myself as small as possible. The temple guard passes without even glancing in my direction. Maybe I was wrong. Maybe I'm not cursed. The priests must have finished their nightly prayers, for the altar room is blessedly empty. I approach the enormous statue of Artemis and the altar before it. The altar was made for the sacrifice of lambs, and other such things that are pleasing to the gods, but I have none of that. I take out my paltry offering, a small vial of the finest wine Greece has to offer, and pour the contents at the foot of the statue.

I kneel, head bowed, and begin to pray. "O Artemis, great goddess of the hunt, I need you. I have done something horrible and could lose everything I love."

My wet dress clings to me uncomfortably. The only noise I can hear is the heavy wind whipping around the rain drops, and an occasional crash of thunder. Mother would die if she saw me now. To be out in the city alone, after dark is bad enough, but the way my dress clings is entirely indecent. Was it really only a week ago that I was that quiet, subservient girl I was raised to be?

"Oh, what have I done?" I whisper.

"That is a good question, child. What have you done?" I look around frantically. Who could be here, watching me? I see no one, but the voice continues, "Ariadne, you sure have made a mess of this, haven't you?"

I look up slowly. The statue is talking to me. O gods, I really am going mad.

"Come on, you prayed for help and here I am to give it." Oh sweet heaven above, Artemis actually is answering my prayer in person. I can only gape at the goddess.

"I- I" I can't say anything else. I am too shocked to cry, which is exactly what I want to do. Her face looks irritated for a moment when I don't answer her properly, but she seems to take pity on me.

"I suppose it isn't entirely your fault, now is it? He didn't tell you that you shouldn't enter this place."

I finally come to my senses. "Is that what you meant, when you said that he would lose me? That I would meet Narcissus?" She nods. "Is there anything I can do? I don't want to lose my husband, yet my heart is in a million pieces over that worthless bastard. I wish he could feel what I am going through right now. But he never will; he only loves himself. Artemis, please make him feel this pain that I feel."

"Narcissus will get his, my dear, don't you worry about him."

"But when? And will I ever get over him?"

"When is not for you to know. Now, I normally don't do this sort of thing, but I am in a pity-taking mood today, and Actaeon has always been one of my favorites. So here," she leans down and breathes on me. A sweet, refreshing breath. "Now go home to your husband. Forget about Narcissus."

I walk home almost as if it were a dream. I don't notice the wind and rain, but just keep walking. I don't know how I got back in the palace. I don't know I made it back to my own room with no one noticing me. Or even that I had been gone. But I did.

I awake in the morning feeling extremely confused. Did I go to Artemis' temple last night? Why would I have done that? I wrack my brain desperately trying to remember the events of last night. But it's gone, except faint flashes of speaking with Artemis. But about what? How odd.

As I climb out of bed I decide that I must have dreamt the whole thing. Surely, I would have no reason to pray to Artemis- my life is perfect. My beloved Actaeon comes home today.


	7. A Deal and The Perfct Man Again

Artemis

I am surprised to find that it is quiet inside father's temple; I suppose I expected to hear Hera shouting still, but she is gone. I stare down the main hall and see father sitting in his throne. The image takes me back to a few days ago, standing before him, asking him to stay away from Echo. To save her from Hera. My stomach twists to think of how miserably he failed.

He looks up and sees me. "I know why you are here."

"Do you?"

"Yes, the same reason that Hera isn't speaking to me at the moment."

"Echo."

"Yes."

"I thought we had a deal."

"I stayed away from Echo. At least, I tried. I never meant to involve her."

I stand there is silence for a moment, as I force myself to stay calm. I sit on the dais of father's throne. The cold of the marble seeps through my dress; it is almost soothing. "Father, please, you have to do something. She hides from her sisters in a cave, looking like someone who wants nothing more than to die. I don't think you understand what this means to her."

"Artemis, you know that I cannot change something that Hera has done."

"But you can make her undo it. You are her lord and master. You are king of the gods."

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Yes, I am. And I think you would do well to remember that. This matter is between you and Hera." His tone says that it is final. There is no further point to pleading. Once Zeus makes a decision, there is no changing his mind.

There is a soft noise behind me. Someone clearing their throat. I don't even turn around; I already know that it is Hera. Most likely coming to gloat over my failure. My failure to protect my nymphs. My failure to convince father. My failure to beat her in this game she plays. My complete failure.

"I will see you later, dear." Father says to me, and leaves me alone with Hera in that cold chamber. He is gutless when it comes to her. I don't know why. The only power she has over him is that which he gives her. If anyone else lectured him, manipulated him, yelled at him the way she does, that person would be long dead or something far worse. But Hera is different. I will never know why.

"There was something you wanted to ask me?" Hera's tone is cold and hard with a slight coyness to it that tells me she's ready to play her little game of manipulation. I'm not. I am not going to dance around this just to amuse her.

'You know perfectly well why I am here," I say, standing up. She gives a slight laugh.

"Yes, yes, my dear I do. And no, I will not undo it."

"What do you want?"

"So you are willing to bargain for the little liar's voice? I am surprised; I always thought you liked your fellow huntresses silent. But it matters little to me. Her voice will not come cheap, you know. She deserved what she got and I am not going to remise her punishment merely because you are put out by it."

"Answer the question, Hera. What do you want?"

Her expression is no longer coy, but cruel. "What do I want? You dare ask me what I want? I want a faithful husband. I want children worth my time. I want respect. But you already knew that, didn't you? And there is nothing that you can do about it. But I suppose there is something I want that you can give me." She pauses and smiles slightly. "I want you to beg."

I stare at her for a moment in disbelief. I should have seen it coming yet I am still stunned. I don't know what to say.

"Actually," she says, "I don't care if you beg. I will find no pleasure in it if I am the only one who can appreciate it. I do, however, want you to tell Hermes that you begged me, and I relinquished. You will also, of course, note how kind and generous I am, how much more beautiful than you I am, and how happy you are that I am your step mother."

Hermes. She chose well. Hermes, the infernal gossip. Immortal and mortal alike will know about this by tomorrow evening if I tell Hermes. I briefly consider refusing, but I picture Echo's mournful eyes. "You have a deal."

Echo

I cannot stay with my sisters anymore. I love them dearly but they do not understand what I have lost. Britomartis and Nissa are the only ones among them that do not seem to find it as another big game. Britomartis, though, has always been the wise one, and Nissa the serious one. It occurs to me what strange company I find myself in. No longer the center of attention, no longer the story-teller, no longer the one my sisters listen to, I surround myself with the wise one and the solemn one. But I still miss what I had; I have lost a part of me. No, I have lost _me_.

I have begun to find solace in the silence of the woods. My old friends, rocks and flowers and butterflies, they cannot speak to me. I find it quite fitting. If I cannot speak, neither should those around me. So today I have decided to not go back. There is a small cave just east of my sister's clearing where I can stay for a while. Britomartis and Nissa will look for me, but they will not find me.

I can hear Nissa's voice calling out through the woods. I try to ignore it, but it breaks my heart. She sounds desperate. But I cannot go back. I can't.

"So are you hiding temporarily or is this your new residence?" For a second I panic, thinking that one of my sisters has found me, but it is Artemis. There is nothing I can say, so I study the dirt floor of the cave. Artemis sighs and goes on, "Echo, I am so sorry. If I had known…," she trails off for a second as if not sure what to say. It makes me even more uncomfortable. I have never seen Artemis be anything but strong and assured. This uncertainty she shows seems to seal my fate. "I am going to see Zeus now. I thought you should know. I cannot guarantee that anything will come of it, but I will try."

I look up and give her a slight nod. She stands there a moment longer, watching me and then is gone. A harsh wind whistles across the mouth of my cave, adding an eeriness to her sudden departure. I walk outside and stand beside an old elm, gripping it as if I can take strength from its tall form. I can't. I have no hope left.

I hear the sound of hunting dogs. They are not Artemis'; they have a mortal sounding howl. I am not sure what mortals are doing hunting in these woods, but Artemis will be furious when she finds out. I ignore it for a while, but the dog's howls are getting closer. Too close for me to ignore any longer, so I follow the sounds until I come across a small hunting party chasing after the dogs.

"Come on men! We can't be far behind!" One of them shouts. I cannot see him, but I know immediately that these men are not true hunters. They have no clue what they are doing, which might explain why they are attempting to hunt in Artemis' wood. I follow after them. At the very least their failure could provide some amusement.

They run chaotically, no one quite sure where they are going, until someone occasionally shouts "This way!" The man that I am following is positively hopeless. He lets out a loud curse every time a branch touches him. He finally stops running and I do the same behind him, hiding among the trees. His companions still continue to run farther away after the dogs, but the man doesn't seem to care.

"Hunting is such a worthless sport," he says.

"Worthless sport," I repeat. It just falls out of my mouth, completely involuntarily. I am overjoyed for a moment, until I realize I cannot say anything else. What is going on? The man turns around to look in my direction and everything else in my mind disappears. He is the most perfect man I have ever seen. His skin, his hair, his eyes, his body, his posture. Everything. He is perfect. It takes my breath away and I can think of nothing else.

"Is someone here?" he asks.

"Here," Once again the word comes out of me from nowhere. I don't want to say it, but cannot help it. The perfect man walks in my direction. He is… beyond words. I move away, silently, hoping to study him further. I don't even care that my mouth is no longer in my control; I just want to study him.

"Hello?"

"Hello." I slip into another tree, an oak this time, when he comes closer.

"Show yourself!"

"Yourself."

I can barely stay hidden anymore. I would do anything to touch him. Anything. He has such a kind, gentle face.

"Why do you hide? Come out!"

"Come out," He speaks with such tenderness. Surely, he would understand. I finally run out and throw myself against him. And for a second I can feel his strong chest in my arms, his sweet skin against my lips, his soft hair in my hands. For a second my life is perfect. Nothing else matters. Nothing.

Until he shoves me away. I stumble to the ground. He is staring at me with complete disgust. "Get away from me"

"From me,"

"What is wrong with you?"

"You."

He snorts in disgust and runs off in the direction of his friends. He is gone. No. He can't be. I love him. I need him. No. The tears start to come, but like before, no sound comes out. No, no, no. This is not happening.

"Echo?"

"Echo." What is wrong with me? I look up and see Artemis.

"You can talk again!"

"Again."

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong." She stares at me with a deep frown. I want to sink into the earth and never be seen again.

"Can you say something other than repeating after me?" but I can already tell from her tone that she knows what is going on and what the answer will be. I try to hold it in, but the inevitable answer comes out of my mouth anyway.

"After me."

"Oh, no." she whispers

"No." I throw myself against a tree as silent sobs rack my body. They do not last long, I have cried more in the last few days then I ever have in my life, and I have few tears left to shed. Artemis says nothing for so long that when I look up I expect her to not be there anymore. But she is still watching me.

"I will do what I can," and she is gone.

To the emptiness of the woods, I repeat her parting words. "I can." But she needn't have said anything. There is no hope.


	8. Flowers

Echo

Sleep is the only time I have any rest from the tortured desperation in my heart. The only thing I desire more than sleep is death. But not tonight. Tonight, my dreams are as unbearable as the waking hours. Images flood my sleep. Images of my sisters, of Artemis, of _him _all swirl in my mind incomprehensibly. Apollo, Hera, Zeus. They are all there, but I understand nothing. None of the images make sense. Mortal hunting dogs, the men I saw in the forest, _him. Him. Him. Him. _The swirling images slow, and I can see him as clearly as I would if he were standing before me while I was awake. He smiles at me. His perfect smile.

The image changes. He is on the ground, sleeping. Slowly he wakes and looks around. He reaches up to touch his hair and frowns. Even when he frowns he is perfect. I hear nothing, but I can see him sigh heavily as he stands. He wanders through the woods, looking for something, but I can't tell what. I want to tell him to stop, to go back. Stay with the other men and then leave. This forest is dangerous for mortals. A branch of an oak reaches out and tugs at his sleeve. He frowns, but doesn't look back. A black pine picks up one of her roots and he trips over it. _No, stop it, _I want to say. I want to tell the trees that he is a good man, they must leave him alone. But I am not really there. And they keep at him. A chestnut whacks him in the face with one of his branches. I realize what they are doing. They are herding him, directing him.

And then he is in a clearing with a small pond in it. I know the clearing. It is one of Artemis' favorites. Even in the silence of my dream, my memories fill in the chirping of the birds, the whispers of the trees, the warmth of the sun that I know so well. He looks around and recognizes innately that he has come to holy ground. He drops to his knees, and I can see his lips moving in prayer, asking for forgiveness of any god or goddess he may have offended. He stops much sooner than I would have expected. Evidently fear of the divine isn't one of his strengths.

He walks over to the pond and reaches down to scoop up some water, but stops suddenly before his hands touch the pond's surface. He stares into the water, entranced, and smiles. The image in the water, his own, perfect image, smiles back at him. He stretches out a single finger, as if to stroke the face. But when his finger touches the water, the image disappears. He recoils in horror. Edging back towards the pond, the man waits for the water to still. Waits for the image to reappear.

The face in the water is back as soon as the ripples from his touch disappear, and the man settles down to stare at it. His face is filled with an obsessive adoration. His smile doesn't look perfect anymore, but forced and desperate. There is fear there. Fear that the image will disappear again. And longing.

And then there is darkness; I see nothing else. A voice breaks into the silence. _You seek peace, yet you do not find it._ The words fill my mind, not my ears. They are whispered, yet deafening. I feel a sense of calmness that I haven't felt in days. _Artemis is trying to save you. She loves you dearly, but she will not succeed. I give you peace. _In the darkness of my mind, I somehow know that this is no dream. I know who it is that speaks to me without even asking. Gaia. Mother Earth.

_You poor child. Rest. Rest. Rest knowing that your voice will live on. Rest, Echo._

My heart is light. And I know no more.

Artemis

Echo is gone. The cave is small, but I search it well nonetheless. The cave is filled with a power far stronger than my own. It fills my senses and caresses me, and I vaguely recognize it as belonging to Gaia. But I don't understand it. What has she done? Where is Echo?

But I feel comfortable here, as if everything is all right.

I sigh, and I would have sworn that I heard someone else sigh also. I look around.

"Hello?"

_Hello._

It is Echo's voice. But there is no one there. "Echo?"

_Echo._

And then I realize. Gaia. That's why the cave is filled with power. I can't help but smile, even though my heart feels a pang at the loss. Gaia took pity on her, and did something that I could not. She gave Echo back her voice. I will miss her, though. I will miss her dearly. Stories will never be the same.

I shake my head briefly. There is much to do, and I have little time to mourn at the moment. I quickly filter through the things I need to do, trying to decide which will be the least unpleasant. Deal with Hera? No. Take revenge on Hermes? No. Tell the other dreiads what happened to Echo? No. Just thinking of the list makes my heart sink. Deal with the corpse that leans over my pond? Well, it is the only one that won't talk back. With a sigh, I head towards the clearing.

I can smell the body long before I can see it. It still hangs over the pond, gazing into the water, but now, only death stares back at it.

"That was really quite brilliant."

I don't even bother looking as Apollo walks up beside me. "I don't know about brilliant," I say dryly. "I will shortly have a skeleton leaning over my pond."

"Well," Apollo says with a laugh, "I have a plan for that one." His foot kicks out to roll over the dead body. Instead of the starved, bloated corpse that I expected to see, flowers spring up out of Narcissus' clothing. The beautiful flowers start spreading all over the clearing, popping up like smiling faces. Apollo bends down and picks one. "What should we call them?"

"Narcissuses, of course," I say as I take the flower from him.

He laughs. His voice is filled with gentle sarcasm as he says, "perhaps you could choose a word a little more difficult to say. Maybe one with no vowels."

Here with my twin brother I feel safe. I can forget, for a moment, that list of things to do. I can laugh at his teasing, and it feels good. "Narcissuses." The word almost has a taste on my tongue. "I like it. And besides," I say with mock seriousness, "vowels are important."

"Well, I'm glad you like it." He looks around. "Are you going to do anything to the other hunters that found their way into your woods?"

"No. I've run out of creative punishments for a little while, and I hesitate to do something too cliché. I'll have to come up with something good if they come back, though."

"You could make their testicles shrivel up."

I laugh. "Aphrodite did that once."

"Did she? I guess you're right. You could make them think they're cows."

"_Tsk. _Hera did that. Come on, Apollo! Use some originality here."

He sighs with sarcastic frustration. "I don't know what else to tell you then." He laughs slightly. "I'm sure you'll find something interesting. You always manage."

In the distance I can see two figures. Actaeon and Ariadne. I have been watching them lately; I find their happiness contagious. I never take back punishments. Never. But somehow, I feel that it would have been an injustice to leave her in her misery. It wasn't her fault, not really. And I know that Echo would have been happy with my decision to help Ariadne. So instead of trying to justify to myself my uncharacteristic forgiveness, I merely chalk it off as a final tribute to Echo. It's certainly not that I'm going soft. Never that.

Ironically enough, Ariadne is weaving a wreath of narcissuses as Actaeon stares down at her lovingly. I can hear their soft laughter and he leans down and places a gentle kiss on her lips. There is true joy in her expression as she carefully places the crown of flowers she has made on his head and pulls him closer for another kiss.

I smile contentedly. Sometimes forgiveness has its pleasant sides.


	9. Afterword

_A/N: Not only is the story completely updated, there is a new chapter! I decided that the story needed to end with at least a little bit of fluff, and that's essentially what this is (mixed, as per usual, with a little social commentary). If you came straight here to the last chapter, you might want to back up and read the rest of the story again because a lot has changed. There are a few added scenes, a few extended scenes, and everything has been edited thoroughly. And, if you have not read the sequel, _The Stag, _you should do that, too._

Ariadne

"Darling if you want a bouquet, you need only ask."

I look up from the flower I just picked to Actaeon as we wander through a grassy field outside the city. "A bouquet isn't quite what I had in mind."

"What are you doing, then?"

"You'll see."

He sits in the grass as I move around the field, plucking the beautiful flowers that are scattered across it. I had never seen them before last week. No one had. They began springing up from the ground recently, growing at unheard-of rates. Surely they are the work of some god. I have heard people calling them narcissuses, after some man of legendary perfection who died recently. The name irritates me. As if any man could be as beautiful as these flowers.

Once I have a handful, I move over to Actaeon, lying in the grass with my head resting in his lap. His hands run through my hair as I begin weaving the flowers together. "Ah, a flower chain." He chuckles to himself, "You know, one of my sisters tried to teach me how to make these when we were little."

"Tried? You mean you couldn't do it?"

"Well, I had just received my first wooden practice sword. I ran through the field chopping off the head of every flower in sight. She was so angry she wouldn't even speak to me for the rest of the day."

I laugh quietly. "I can't say I blame her."

We lie in the grass in comfortable silence while I put the rest of the flowers into the chain. One more should do it, I decide. Out of the corner of my eye I can see a flower that I missed while picking the ones around Actaeon. I truly don't want to move, I am so comfortable here in his lap. I reach out an arm trying to get my hands on it without having to move the rest of me. But from this angle, I can't quite get it. My fingers grope in the grass, trying to reach.

He laughs. "Left, darling. A little farther out."

I let my lip slide out into a fake pout. "I can't reach it."

"May the gods forbid you actually sit up."

I can't quite tell if he's serious. Was there irritation in his voice? Or was I imagining it? I hesitate. Seeing my expression he instantly leans down and kisses me. "I love you." And, without ever allowing my head to move, he reaches out and plucks the flower I was aiming for. He hands it to me with a gallant smile. "For you, my beloved."

"Why thank you. I think this is the last one I'll need."

He looks at the chain in my hands and raises and eyebrow. "I didn't realize there was a set end point."

"You should have paid more attention to your sister. It's _not _a chain."

"But you just said it was."

"No, _you_ said it was chain. _I_ said you'll see." I finish turning my chain into a circle and reach up to place it on his head. "And now you see. It's a crown."

He smiles that sweet, wonderful smile at me. The one that makes me feel completely at peace. The one I can't help but return.

"I suppose," he says thoughtfully, "that we'll have to make sure that our son learns how to make these before he gets his first practice sword."

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Will this be part of his official education?"

"Of course. Before he can even read. Maybe someday, he'll save the kingdom with his chains of flowers."

I giggle slightly. "And how is he going to do this?"

"Well, our son will have a one-of-a-kind brain, you know. I wouldn't even be able to begin to know how he would do such a thing. But he will."

"The poor boy isn't even conceived yet and already you are telling stories of his forays."

"This is an excellent point." He picks my head off his lap, gently sets it in the grass and slides down to lay beside me. He kisses me deeply. "Perhaps we should solve that little dilemma."

As much as I enjoyed the kiss, my faces flushes deep red and I drop my voice to an embarrassed hiss, "The guards are watching."

He glances back over his shoulder. "Oh, they won't care."

"But _I _will."

"Then I'll send them away."

"So that when we get attacked by raiders we'll be lying here completely naked? I think not."

He sighs heavily, but there is a smile on his face. "You know, if I must wait until we get back to the palace, then I'll have to ask you to stop blushing."

"What do you mean?" The fact that he pointed out my red face makes me blush even more.

"Every time I think that you are more beautiful than any woman I could possibly imagine, I see you blush, and you become so beautiful I can barely keep my hands off you." He gives an impish smile. "Hands as well as other things."

I am not quite sure to take such a comment. I want to believe it. I want to relish it, bathe in the fact that he thinks I am beautiful. But I have been told my entire life that I am not. My rat-colored hair is still the same color as before. My mud-colored eyes are still the same as before. I don't know what to believe.

"You don't have to say that, you know."

"Say what?"

"That I'm beautiful. I know the truth."

"The truth?"

"That my hair is the color of rats and my eyes the color of mud. My mother and sisters and sisters-in-law reminded me quite constantly to pray for beauty. I have come to grips with the fact that Aphrodite will not answer."

"Your _family _compared you to rats and mud?"

"Well, they're just the ones that told me to pray all the time. It was a generally accepted fact among all the women that I would never be as beautiful as my sisters."

He rolls over on top of me, holding my head in his hands, staring into my eyes. "Ariadne, I want you to listen to me. I love you and I think you are beautiful. I don't care what anybody else says; you are beautiful. And if your hair is the color of rats then so is Artemis' and I have never seen a more beautiful color. And if your eyes are the color of mud then so were my mother's and she had eyes you could drown in." He leans down to kiss me gently. Once. "Ariadne." Twice. "I love you." Three times. "And I say that you are beautiful."

I feel like I am floating in pure, unalloyed contentment. "I love you too."

His lips make their way down my jaw to my neck. He kisses the hollow of my throat as his hand slides up my side and under my breast. It is divine.

"Actaeon?"

His lips move further down my chest to the edge of my clothing. "Hm?"

"The guards are still watching."

With another heavy sigh, softened by the smile that plays on his lips, he gives me one last kiss. "You're _sure_?"

"That they're watching? Isn't that their job?"

"No, that you actually _care _that they're watching."

I can't help but laugh. "Of course I care."

"Fine." He stands up and reaches down to offer me his hands.

"Do we have to go already?" I'm only teasing him, though. I know why he wants to go, and the truth is that I want to also.

His face falls, though he tries to hide it. "If you want to stay…"

"I just thought we might want to spend a few more minutes outside, enjoying the weather since we're about to spend the rest of the day in bed."

A smile lights up his face again. "The rest of the day in bed?"

"Or the floor or the desk. I don't really care. So long as there isn't an audience." I manage to shock even myself with my audacity. Did I really just say that?

Actaeon, however, is a little too distracted to notice how uncharacteristic of me that comment was. I can see the possibilities scrolling through his mind. I have neither the experience nor the creativity to know exactly what those possibilities are, but I know he's got plenty of ideas.

I reach out to take his hands and let him pull me up. As I stretch out, I look up into the woods on the hill above us. I am surprised to see a hound running through the trees. I open my mouth to tell Actaeon. It is beautiful enough that it must be one of the royal dogs. No commoner could afford a hound like that. But then I see her. Leaning against a tree.

Artemis. She smiles at me with a quick wink, and puts her fingers to her lips.

"Are you all right, darling?" Actaeon's voice makes me jump.

I look from him back to the spot up on the hill. She is gone. For a moment I can't say anything. I want to tell him, but one doesn't disobey a goddess. "Yes, yes I'm fine. I just thought I saw something."

He glances back towards where I was looking. "I don't see anything."

"I must have just been distracted. You do that to me, you know."

"What can I say? It's a talent." He pulls me into his arms and kisses the top of my head. "Let's go, shall we?"

"Let's go home."

Artemis

I have been watching them lately, Ariadne and Actaeon. I find their happiness contagious. Except for when that irritating little thought pops into the back of my mind. The one that makes me question what I did.

I never take back punishments. Never. And yet the couple that I cursed is staring at each other with expressions of true joy and contentment. Complete adoration for each other. Why? It would have been an injustice to leave her in her misery. It wasn't her fault. I chew on my lip as I watch Ariadne weaving her crown of narcissuses. The irony of it almost makes me smile. If only she knew.

An injustice. Has that ever stopped me before? No. Punishments are punishments. And pride is pride. A goddess does not go soft. So why?

I know that Echo would have been pleased with my decision. She would have been happy to know that these two have a chance at love. I hadn't thought of Echo at all when I did it. Not in the least. But I test out the explanation on myself, nonetheless. It was a final tribute to Echo. It wasn't a revocation of punishment, but rather a gift to my dreiad.

Hm… It might just work. A couple hundred years of telling myself that and I might believe it. I'm grateful I have no one else to convince.

Actaeon helps Ariadne up off the ground. As she stands Ariadne looks my way, and, in a split second decision, I decide not to hide myself from her. She stares at me in awe and I give her a smile and a wink. I press my finger to my lips. _Don't tell._

She nods, says something to Actaeon and he wraps her in a hug. They walk away, arms around each other, her head against his shoulder.

I smile contentedly. Sometimes forgiveness has its pleasant sides.


End file.
